Joel Pearson, PhD

Research summary

Dr. Joel Pearson's research delves into the intricate landscape of cancer, aiming to overcome its complexity for improved diagnosis and treatment outcomes. By uncovering overarching principles of cancer biology that transcend tumor types, Dr. Pearson seeks to develop broadly applicable therapeutics. For instance, his work has identified two simplified categories of cancers, termed "YAPon" or "YAPoff," based on distinct activities of a single transcriptional complex. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms behind these fundamental "rules" of cancer to pinpoint better treatment strategies.

Dr. Pearson's journey into cancer research began during his graduate studies at the University of Alberta, where he explored the molecular basis of pediatric lymphoma. Subsequently, his postdoctoral work at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in Toronto focused on understanding how cellular context influences the genesis of aggressive neuroendocrine cancers, such as small cell lung cancer and drug-resistant neuroendocrine prostate cancer.

Through his research, he uncovered an unanticipated tumor suppressor function for the YAP/TAZ-TEAD transcriptional complex in many neural, neuroendocrine, and hematological cancers. This contrasts the well-characterized oncogenic role of this transcriptional complex in many other solid cancers.

Now, as a scientist at Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Pearson's research program is dedicated to exploiting fundamental aspects of cancer biology to develop better therapeutics, with a particular focus on aggressive neural and neuroendocrine cancers.